Labor Day (movie)

The Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday and runs through Sept. 14, is a key indicator not only of the upcoming fall movies but of the awards season. Eight of the last nine best picture Oscar winners built awards-season momentum at the festival.

There are any number of hopefuls in this year's TIFF lineup, but some films have better chances than others of breaking through. A positive response — enthusiastic crowds, strong early reviews — can boost a film's awards trajectory. A negative response can mean a failure to launch.

What movies might be this year's beneficiaries? Here's a look at the promise of some of the high-profile titles playing...

Related "Labor Day (movie)" Articles

The Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday and runs through Sept. 14, is a key indicator not only of the upcoming fall movies but of the awards season. Eight of the last nine best picture Oscar winners built awards-season momentum...

The thesis of "Labor Day," taken from Joyce Maynard's novel, was summed up well by The Washington Post headline affixed to the Post's book review: "Sometimes it's okay to pick up a scary drifter."
In the fictitious town of Holton...

"12 Years a Slave" went into the 71st Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night with seven nominations but was passed over again and again. That is, until the last award of the evening, and arguably the best of them all. The harrowing portrayal of...

When the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. announced its nominations last month, the biggest surprise was that there were no surprises. There were no obvious, ratings-driven nods to celebrities, no left-field recognition to performances no one else found...

We can all agree that it's been a pretty great year for movies. But when it comes to this year's best picture Oscar race, that's probably where our accord ends.
At the moment, the critically lauded historical drama "12 Years a Slave" and the...